Girls With Scars
by CJ Blackwing
Summary: The instability of Lenalee's Innocence - the Heart - makes it begin to self-destruct. Miranda is urged to abandon her younger comrade, but won't, and they both end up in the realm of a certain Noah. Future!Canon, slightly warped and confusing. Ch. 3 of ?
1. Roar

My first -man fic, and I decide to take canon, future-ize it a bit, and just run with it in the weirdest direction possible. Wow.

Still, I truly think this turned out okay, especially since I'm not huge on Lenalee and Miranda's characters to begin with. Don't get me wrong, I like them and all, but I'm sure even my most distant friends expected my first fic to be Lavi-centric.

Critique wanted. :D Please enjoy. Any questions about my stab at future!canon, please ask, too. I don't own -man, by the way, though I'd love to kidnap Lavi sometime. :3

*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

"Miranda, why are you even here?"

The younger girl's voice was barely audible over the sound of buildings crashing around them. Miranda turned to face her, the one responsible for the destruction. "What?"

"Why are you here?" The other girl's Innocence, swirling around her slender legs like a thousand angry snakes, pulsed red in time with her words. The Heart hadn't consumed her yet, had it? Miranda flinched as a piece of brick flew into her cheek.

"I want to stop this," Miranda said in an almost pleading tone as she wiped blood away, "Lenalee, I'm not leaving, even if my Innocence is powerless now."

Neither woman could look the other in the eye. The wind picked up as Lenalee's legs began to throb more violently. _What's even going wrong here?_ Miranda wondered as another building collapsed with a roar.

Lenalee suddenly walked away, toward the emblem on the ground where the Vatican's main building used to be. It was barely visible among the rubble and surging flames, yet even Miranda had a vague idea of what Lenalee could unleash if she got close enough to that spot. She followed the younger girl. "Lenalee, I..."

Lenalee didn't turn. Miranda ran to catch up. "Wait, can't we just wait for the others to arrive? The Akuma aren't even close; there's enough time--"

"Miranda, don't you understand?" Lenalee stopped and doubled over as her legs pulsed again. "This Innocence is self-destructing now. I don't know why. But I'll be damned if I let it consume me--" she winced as her legs shone brighter, "-- without taking all the Akuma I can with it. And with the power of the Heart and whatever's rumored to be sealed beneath that floor..."

Miranda said nothing. It was true; with both powers' alleged potential, she could cleanse at least an entire hemisphere of Akuma. Including the ones the Finders indicated were coming for the two of them.

_But does it have to end like this...? The Heart is supposed to be a power of good, not destruction._

"You leave. Now." Lenalee gasped as she took a few slow steps closer to where the seal should be. "I'm your senior, aren't I? And I... say to leave."

Miranda paused, unwilling to leave but not wanting to sacrifice herself unnecessarily - or hinder Lenalee's final mission. _But will this really be her end...? Can't something else be done?_

The fragile woman's heart hurt suddenly as Lenalee collapsed in a heap on the glass-riddled ground. The wind blew in furious circles around the last standing building, a stone tower fifty feet to their left. Miranda eyed the tower cautiously as she ran to Lenalee and touched her shoulder.

"Lenalee..." She had to shout over the noise, "Give me your arm."

There was no reply. Miranda seized the other girl's arm and pulled it up around her shoulder. She grabbed Lenalee's waist, and to her relief, the Innocence did not react violently. Miranda knew that with her Time Record destroyed, the Innocence might not even recognize her as an Exorcist, and could tear her to shreds.

She inched forward, dragging a now semi-conscious Lenalee over broken stained glass and dust and rubble. The top of the tower suddenly crumbled and fell with a roar, almost hitting them with debris. Miranda paused for a moment, trying to catch her breath amid the smoke. "Lenalee...?"

Again, there was no reply. The Innocence in Lenalee's legs suddenly flashed white, almost blinding the older woman. She gritted her teeth and dragged Lenalee the final ten feet to the now-buried seal. She knelt down and carefully let go of Lenalee as she frantically shoved bricks and debris away from the spot they needed.

It occurred to her that she didn't even know what this seal looked like; she only knew its approximate location from the page of a top secret report Lenalee had intercepted the other night.

_"The room where the Branch Directors meet sometimes...? Like your brother?"_

_"Yes. At the front of the room, which lies between the east and north towers, there's a large black symbol of some sort on the floor. It's important, according to this; it says something about a vault beneath it..."_

_"What kind of symbol? A cross?"_

_"It doesn't say. I think it'd specify if it was the Black Order logo, wouldn't it? Perhaps it's something complicated."_

_"And what vault?"_

_"I don't know. The page ends there. What a strange report..."_

It was beginning to make some sense to Miranda now. Komui had hinted at that symbol - and the vault beneath - twice before, both times in regard to the Heart. But the second time he'd mentioned it, it was during an overheard conversation, years ago, about _Allen_ possibly having the Heart.

_"It all circles back to the 14th, doesn't it...?"_

_"Why would it, Director?"_

_"Think about it. Allen's seamless interactions with the piano inside the Ark, despite his Innocence's unstable state."_

_"But why would the 14th have anything to do with it? This could be a coincidence."_

_"Perhaps the 14th fled the other Noah _with _the Heart in the first place, yes? I suppose one way to find out would be to take him to the Vatican's vault, but... That wouldn't be worth the risk. Wouldn't you agree, Klaud?"_

_"Of course it wouldn't."_

Miranda glanced back over at Lenalee, wondering how much she had overheard during her years at Headquarters. Surely as Komui's sister, she'd overheard volumes of confidential information, secrets she'd never wanted to know and never wanted to have to use. As Miranda wiped a stream of sweat from her forehead, Lenalee stirred, prompting another flash of light from her legs.

"Nnnn..." She didn't open her eyes. Miranda shoved some more rubble aside, hoping that she could find the symbol for her comrade before both of their conditions deteriorated further.

"Lenalee, you okay?"

Lenalee's eyes opened slowly, and she nodded in response. "We're close..." she moaned as she sat up.

Miranda eyed the blazing tower nearby as the winds shifted. The ground shook suddenly, and Miranda feared they didn't have long before the area was totally destroyed. "Lenalee, how close do you think we are to the--"

**CRACK.** The bottom of the tower suddenly gave way, sending a massive shower of bricks and glass toward the two girls.

Lenalee leaned weakly toward Miranda, and the two collided, each in an attempt to protect the other. The last thing Miranda remembered was a faint blue light suddenly seeping through a pile of rubble to her right.

*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

I think I might like the direction this is going. :3 I hope to clarify a few points in the next chapter, so if you're a tad confused, don't worry... XD Reviews much appreciated!


	2. DD

Welcome back! I really have no plot-related plans drawn out for this little series, so I suppose I'll just keep writing it as I see fit 'til it ends itself... XD I know what general direction I'm going, but if you all have any suggestions, I'd truly be glad to hear them. :3

Also, the story title's significance will be revealed in the end... don't worry, I didn't just choose it for emoness, XD Um. Yeah. Please try to enjoy, and do let me know if any parts are confusing... n_n;

*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

Miranda didn't even notice the silence at first. Instead, her initial thought was that the blackness in front of her, and all around, for that matter, indicated that there was no such thing as heaven after all. She had died, and instead of going to be with God, she had...

... But this wasn't hell either, was it? Was this 'limbo,' as Lavi had so aptly called it one time?

She tried to look around, but if she did manage to move her eyes or her head, she couldn't feel it. She felt nothing besides a dull pain gnawing at what felt like her right arm - where her Innocence used to be.

Though she knew it would be in vain, she tried to speak. _Hello...?_ She was met with silence. She couldn't even feel her tongue or lips. The dreamlike darkness and pain in her arm remained unchanged for what seemed like hours, until the black in front of her morphed into an gray vortex.

A bolt of red shot out, piercing where Miranda's chest should be, but she could neither feel pain nor see her chest itself.

She somehow knew it was what remained of Lenalee's Innocence. _But why did it come to me...?_ She slowly begin to panic as the darkness resumed its original calm. The inability to move or feel _anything_ was beginning to scare her.

More time passed - did time even pass in this realm, though? - and to Miranda's relief, the solid black before her began to ripple ever so slightly every now and again. As the rippling grew more intense, she noticed the numbness slowly falling away from her body; when she finally could look down, she could see it fading back into existence, her exorcists' uniform somehow intact.

She still had no sense of what this world around her was. There seemed to be no ground beneath her, and nothing above her - and with only air surrounding her, she had no way of moving around. Or was it even air? It occurred to Miranda that if this was limbo, then there was probably no actual "air" either. She felt no need to breathe, though her body seemed to be inhaling and exhaling anyway.

Her head began to hurt. That was a good sign, to her, since it indicated her body was still real. With her senses fully returning to her body, she ran her fingers up and down her arm, hoping her Innocence had somehow returned. It hadn't.

And speaking of Innocence, what had happened to Lenalee's...? She glanced down at her chest, where the red streak seemed to have struck before, and noticed nothing unusual.

And where was the rest of Lenalee? Miranda prayed frantically for the younger girl's safety, though she knew deep down it wasn't likely. If the falling debris hadn't killed her, the smoke and flames would finish her off before the Akuma even got there.

A sudden bang startled her, and she flinched. The space in front of her began to ripple again, and a giggle floated into the air as a small, purple-haired being emerged horizontally from a liquid-like rupture in the darkness. It was clutching what looked like a cauldron full of various candies, which were spilling out and falling into the infinite darkness below.

Miranda's heart froze. The being twisted upright and turned to face her.

"Oh, it has been too long, Clock Woman!" the creature chimed, brushing short purple strands aside to reveal the familiar face of Road Kamelot.

*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

I wasn't planning on throwing Road in... but I figured a reunion would make a nice plot device. I also don't remember if Miranda was ever called "Clock Woman" in the manga, but I suspect it'd be a Road-ish thing to call her.

I hope you enjoyed it, and please review whether you did or not! XD; I swear, the next chapter will be longer... n_n


	3. Tsuisou no Despair

So... has anyone noticed the Itou Kanako chapter-naming theme yet? :3 I couldn't resist, especially after "Roar" seemed like such an appropriate title for the first chapter.

Nothing else to really say about this chapter. Just a quick shout-out to my betareader, LadyTemeraire, who is a hamster. Yep.

/insidejoke

*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

Miranda's heart plummeted as the Noah giggled. "Wondering what I'm doing here?" Road cooed, pulling a peppermint from her cauldron.

Miranda began to tremble slightly, despite her inability to move, but kept her eyes fixed on Road. She nodded silently.

"You're in my world again. My realm," Road said gently, "All because I have to stop the reaction between the Heart and the relic in that vault. The Earl sent me, right in the middle of dessert, too..."

"Where's Lenalee?" Miranda's question didn't come out as firmly as she'd hoped, and Road laughed at the faintness of the Exorcist's voice.

"Actually, I don't even know! She was around here somewhere for a while, but..." Her purple eyes narrowed, causing Miranda's heart to sink further. Road shoved a second peppermint into her mouth and smirked as Miranda tried in vain to move properly.

_Lenalee..._ Miranda didn't want to imagine what might have happened to Lenalee in her attempts to escape the illusions, but what if she had succeeded? The chance of rescue from the outside existed, but Miranda didn't want to get her hopes up, especially if her comrade was without her Innocence. She glanced down at her chest again, and Road noticed the movement.

"I sense something odd in there," she commented, eyeing Miranda's black-clad torso, "Is it Innocence~? But I thought yours was destroyed..." She floated closer as she unwrapped a butterscotch candy.

Miranda stayed silent, knowing that lying would be useless against a Noah. Road stopped a foot away and looked her in the eyes.

"Is it Lenalee's?" Road asked, and again received no response. "That... would almost make sense, wouldn't it... After all these years." She glanced to one side as her voice trailed off. To Miranda, the girl almost seemed concerned.

The void behind Road suddenly rippled, and the girl obviously sensed it: her expression flickered into one of annoyance. Miranda blinked. _What did that just indicate...?_ she wondered, pondering the possibility of Road _not_ having everything under control after all. Her mind began to race as she tried to keep the Noah occupied:

"May I have a piece of candy...?"

Road froze, and Miranda quickly regretted the question. The girl cackled loudly, nearly choking on her own sweets. "What? Well, you may, but," she giggled, "I really wasn't expecting you to ask for candy at a time like this!"

Miranda felt mildly foolish. _At least I'm buying time, and keeping her from just killing me out of boredom._ "I'm s-sorta hungry. What kinds d-do you have in there...?" she stuttered lamely.

Road seized a chocolate bar from the cauldron and began unwrapping it. "If you're just hungry, does it matter what kind you get~?" she remarked in a lilting sing-song tone. Miranda resisted the urge to smile at her logic. Breaking off a piece, Road floated back over to Miranda and prepared to place it in the Exorcist's mouth.

Miranda opened her mouth, and Road began to slide the chocolate in, her fingers barely grazing the chapped lips.

A gust of wind blew over Road's features for a split second before a loud _crack_ was heard. Miranda's whole body suddenly tingled as Road recoiled, dropping the chocolate with a cry of alarm. Road looked down at her now-twitching hand. Miranda's eyes widened as the girl's perplexed expression remained unchanged for several seconds. _What... Was that from touching me? Did that actually hurt her? _She couldn't believe it until she remembered the Innocence inside her.

"... Ah." Road's expression darkened as she glared back up at Miranda. "The Heart. I knew it." Her voice had dropped an octave into a sinister murmur.

Miranda's heart began to race. If the Heart now had that much power even in a world controlled by a Noah, then surely it had enough power to get her out. _But there's no way I can properly utilize it. It's Lenalee's, and hers only. She told me what happened to people who tried to use Innocence that didn't belong to them--_

"You can't get out, silly, even if you _could_ use the Heart." Road had read the woman's thoughts successfully. The Noah licked her injured fingers daintily before pulling a strawberry candy from her cauldron. "But since you're so determined to try... I think I might as well finish this now."

Miranda watched the candy disappear into the twisted, demonic smile, and knew her own time was about to vanish.

*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

Yes, the last line was a total reference to chapter 97. :) At any rate, I hope you enjoyed, even if Lenalee STILL hasn't reappeared yet. Will she next chapter? Eh, maybe...

Suggestions or comments? (Especially in regards to unclear pronoun references, which I struggled with this chapter?) Please review~! Thanks for reading.


End file.
